What does it take to run a full marathon? For most runners, the answer involves endurance training, perseverance, a sun-lit pavement and the finishing line.
But on 25 October 2025, 55 athletes from 18 countries rewrote the rulebook entirely — descending over a kilometre into the earth to complete the deepest marathon ever recorded.
As confirmed by Guinness World Records, the World’s Deepest Marathon took place approximately 1,120 metres below sea level inside a zinc mine in Sweden, setting two new world records in the process and raising funds for charity along the way.
The venue that made history
The extraordinary endurance challenge was held in Boliden’s Garpenberg zinc mine in Garpenberg, Sweden. Boliden is one of the safest mining companies in the world and as the owners of the mine, safety was top priority throughout.
Runners were outfitted with personal protective equipment and had access to rescue chambers, following tight protocols established to protect competitors in the special underground setting.
The Garpenberg mine is one of the world’s most modern facilities, extracting 3.5 million tonnes of complex ores containing zinc, lead, silver, copper and gold annually.
Far from a dormant shell, the mine continued regular operations even as runners took to its tunnels — a remarkable detail that reveals just how advanced the facility is. The sheer depth of the course was perhaps best measured by the fact that the lift journey to the starting line took a full three minutes.
Running blind: the conditions underground
Participants endured temperatures in the mid-to-high 20s°C and humidity in the 70% range, running in complete silence and total darkness, with only their head torches for light. Overcoming high humidity, gravel floors, and near-complete darkness, participants completed 11 laps of a 3.84 km tunnel to reach the full marathon distance of 42.195 km.
By reaching over 1,120 metres below the surface, the runners effectively doubled the previous record, which had been held by the Crystal Mine Underground Marathon in Thuringia, Germany. Despite the gruelling conditions, every participant completed the course and made history.
As per Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO of ICMM, air quality inside the Garpenberg mine featured approximately 30 per cent more oxygen than in the atmosphere and fewer pollutants than in major cities — a fact that made the feat logistically possible, even as the heat and humidity tested runners to their limits.
Who ran: the people behind the record
The field was as eclectic as the event itself. UK participants included Jonathan Price, CEO of Teck Resources; Rohitesh Dhawan, CEO of ICMM; professional marathon coach Rory Coleman; and Paul Gurney, co-founder of BecomingX.
Representing Glencore, James Mason finished in first place, with teammate Michael Pappas taking bronze. Five South African mining professionals also completed the race, including Edison Makhetha of Gold Fields, Gareth Penny, chairperson of NinetyOne, and William Leshilo, VP of government relations at AngloGold Ashanti.
India, too, had a historic presence. Hindustan Zinc Limited — the world’s largest integrated zinc producer and Asia’s first ICMM member company — participated as the only official Indian partner, with CEO Arun Misra and COO Kishore Kumar S. both completing the full marathon distance.
The feat made Arun Misra the first Indian to enter the Guinness World Records books in the categories of Deepest Marathon (Individual) and Deepest Underground Marathon Distance Run (Team).
As per Misra, the event was “not just an endurance challenge but a powerful symbol of how the mining industry has evolved.” A lighter pop-culture note was added by Minecraft content creator Seapeekay, who livestreamed the game from underground and ran a lap of the course himself — bridging the worlds of virtual mining and real-world endurance
More than a record: the charitable mission
The team raised funds for charity in the process of setting the record, with figures reported by organisers and partners ranging from roughly $600,000 to around $1 million as donations continued to come in. The funds were directed towards two causes: the canine welfare charity Wild at Heart and the BecomingX Foundation, which supports disadvantaged students in underserved African communities.
As per the event organisers, the goal was never just athletic — it was a statement about what humans are capable of when they refuse to accept conventional limits. In that sense, the World’s Deepest Marathon was more than a test of endurance, rather tt was a masterclass in purpose-driven adventure